Writer-director Manish Gupta’s directorial feature film One Friday Night starring Raveena Tandon, Milind Soman and Vidhi Chitalia is touted to be a relationship drama plotted like a Hitchcock-esque suspense film, and is expected to release soon.
Giving insights about the film, Gupta reveals, “The story revolves around one stormy night, in an isolated villa, atop a secluded hill.” Raveena Tandon plays the protagonist of the film, whereas Milind Soman plays her husband’s role. Vidhi Chitalia plays the role of Milind Soman’s decades-younger love interest.
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The film has been shot entirely in the monsoon, in the months of July and August, at the remote banks of the beautiful Pawna Lake near Lonavla, where the director utilised natural rain to depict scenes of heavy rain in the film.
Writer-Director Manish Gupta previously scripted the screenplay and dialogues for Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Sarkar and Akshaye Khanna-starrer Section 375, and he directed the Kay Kay Menon-starrer film Rahasya based on the Aarushi murder case, he also directed The Stoneman Murders based on the Stoneman killings and most recently, he directed the Vinay Pathak-starrer film 420 IPC based on an economic offence case.
Gupta, who is known for his mastery over small-budget suspense films, speaks to Indulge about his latest offering, and shares anecdotes from the sets.
How long did it take to research and make this film?
One Friday Night has been a quickie for me as a writer-director. I shot the film in 25 days, shooting at a stretch, in one schedule. Unlike all my previous films -- The Stoneman Murders, Rahasya, Section 375 and 420 IPC, the scripting of One Friday Night did not require research because the script was not based on a true criminal case. It was based on an original and fictitious story written by Ramesh Rabindranath and Kamal Chopra.
Tell us a bit about the plot and its relevance in today’s society.
The plot is one stormy night, in an isolated villa atop a hill. After an unfortunate mishap, a mistress is forced to call the only person who can save her dying lover - her lover’s own wife - who till now had no idea about her husband’s affair with his mistress. This story holds a mirror to today’s society where extra-marital affairs and infidelity are on the rise at an alarming rate, leading to breaking of homes and ruining of multiple lives. It also shows how materialistic and selfish the younger generation has become that they think nothing of breaking up a home and a well-settled marriage. This message comes across through Vidhi Chitalia’s character who plays the 22-year-old love interest of a 50-plus married man played by Milind Soman. Vidhi’s character is that of a ‘home-breaker’ who has no qualms about being one. But then, her reasoning and justification is that if a man is not happy in his marriage, then he should not continue it.
What were the key challenges in making this movie?
Shooting in the rain. I shot in the months of July and August in the heart of monsoon at Pawna Lake. I shot many scenes in natural rain in order to capture scenic beauty. This was a challenge because rain does not stop or start when you want it to (like a rain machine does – which is what most Indian film-makers use).
How did you choose your star cast? Do you think audition is the best way to cast for a movie?
I was looking for a female actor in the age group of 47-49 who’s a good actor and has beauty, poise and grace. Raveena Tandon was the obvious choice. For Raveena’s husband’s role, I needed a 50-plus actor but one who is suave, sophisticated, sexy and desirable. Around this time, I saw a video where Milind Soman was talking about his current wife, Anita Konwar, being 25 years younger to him. There! I thought that this gentleman Mr Milind Soman is in real life what my character is on paper! And I cast him quite promptly. Yes, screen tests are a must while casting for a film. I screen-tested Vidhi Chitalia extensively. Since Raveena and Milind have a huge body of work, no screen-test was necessary for them.
What are the toughest aspects of making a film today?
Getting past the red-tape of a Studio/OTT platform.
Were there any interesting anecdotes from the sets you would like to share?
It took me and Raveena Tandon some time to come on the same page on the sets because I’m from a background of realistic and low-budget cinema where every penny and therefore every second on set counts. I work under the pressure of completing the film in a stipulated number of days. Most importantly, I am very strict on the realism portrayed in my films. Whereas Raveena comes from a very strong background of mainstream and high-budget films where budgets are not an issue and where glamour and style take precedence over realism. So, it took Raveena and me a little while to understand and attune to each other’s sensibilities. But once we understood each other, she gave a fantastic performance. She’ll be remembered for her performance in this film for years to come, and award juries will also acknowledge her performance.
As an eminent filmmaker, do you feel a sense of responsibility towards the audience?
Absolutely, cinema is a very powerful medium. The youth of our country is heavily influenced by screen-culture and they often emulate what they see on screen. That’s why, in all the films directed by me so far, I’ve never used cuss words in the dialogues, nor have I ever used unnecessary blood and gore. My movies always have a direct or indirect social message.
What projects are you working next?
I have finished shooting my next film, which is a very small budget film of which I am both the producer and the director. That film is currently in post-production. Hence, right now, it is too early to reveal any details about it.